The country’s largest union, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), today commenced its landmark Nurses and Midwives work value case before the Fair Work Commission (‘FWC’). The ANMF is seeking long-overdue wage increases for nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing (AIN), to recognise the true value of the work they perform across the Australian healthcare system.
The Application follows the successful outcome of the ANMF’s Aged Care work value case, which resulted in nurses and PCWs working in aged care receiving minimum award rate increases of 15 – 30%. The ANMF committed to ensuring that the same wage increases will apply to all nurses, midwives and AINs, regardless of work setting.
The ANMF maintains that current wage rates under the Nurses Award 2020 no longer reflect the true value, complexity and responsibility of nursing and midwifery work and is seeking an increase in wages for all nurses, midwives and AINs (working outside of aged care) who are covered by the Award.
Federal Secretary Annie Butler said the ANMF’s Application was being made on the basis that the work performed by nurses and midwives has been undervalued for many decades.
“We look forward to ANMF members from across the country and a wide range of health settings providing evidence about their changing work. From our perspective, this will demonstrate that nursing, midwifery and care work has become more complex and requires higher levels of responsibility and skill than previously,” Ms Butler explained.
“For example, the skills needed to provide nursing care have been characterised as ‘innate’ female qualities rather than skills. This landmark case will address the long-standing set of assumptions that have shaped wage setting in female dominated industries for far too long.
“The work of nurses and midwives has grown and intensified over the years, yet their wages have failed to keep pace and simply do not recognise the true value of the care they deliver. The ANMF maintains the nature, skill and responsibility required to perform nursing and midwifery work in modern health settings, certainly justifies increases to award wages.”
Ms Butler said the case also seeks to ensure that the classification structure in the award is reflective of work value and provides for career progression, with the name of the award to be changed to the Nurses and Midwives award, to recognise that it covers midwives.
“The ANMF is proud to be running this important case on behalf of all members. The uplift of award wages will play a significant part in lifting wages for all nurses, midwives and AINs, together with overcoming the impact of historical gender-based undervaluation of nursing and care work,” Ms Butler added.
The hearing is scheduled to run over the next five days before an Expert Panel of the FWC in Melbourne
About us:
The ANMF, with over 356,000 members, is the industrial and professional voice for nurses, midwives and carers in Australia.
